George Takei

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT GEORGE TAKEI - PAGE 3

Star Trek's Mr. Sulu, actor George Takei, and singer Little Richard helped raise more than $125,000 for Kobe earthquake victims. The Kobe Relief Telethon was organized by cable TV's International Channel to aid victims of the Jan. 17 earthquake in western Japan, which measured 7.2 and killed more than 5,200 people. The five-hour telethon aired live Sunday night throughout the United States and in some parts of Latin America. It also will be rebroadcast in Japan, said International Channel Vice-President Rosemary Danon.

WHAT: So, are you going to FX this year or is Sulu going to have to get medieval? Angering George Takei will be the least of your worries if you miss this annual sci-fi convention, where you can find a wookiee's share of nerd treasures from local and national dealers. And oh, the B-list celebrity! Takei and Greg Grunberg from Heroes will be there, as will Firefly's Nathan Fillion and not one but two Supergirls (Helen Slater and Smallville's Laura Vandervoort). Put on a costume, drooling fanboys, and get in line for your chance to win a restraining order signed by your favorite star.

The second-season DVD of Heroes, out Tuesday, provides a crucial refresher. After all, fans haven't seen a new episode since Dec. 3, and the third season starts Sept. 22. The DVD gathers the 11 episodes from a season shortened by the writers strike. Many fans complained that Heroes drooped in year two. Creator Tim Kring owned up to a draggy pace and a love-heavy plot, yet the drama picked up as the season ended. In the sprawling plot, Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) and Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere)

Olive Carroll, 101, and Violet Lyman, 102, are among a handful of centenarians who survived San Francisco's Great Quake. They gathered Tuesday for a moment of silence and a ceremony to remember the moment 100 years ago when the quake hit, killing perhaps thousands as it leveled buildings and touched off fires. Chinese visitor: Seattle rolled out the red carpet for Chinese President Hu Jintao as he began a U.S. visit Tuesday. CELEBRITY WATCH A spokesman for Tom Cruise says the actor's fiancee, Katie Holmes, has given birth to a girl they named Suri.

ALFRED FLEISHMAN, 96, public-relations executive: Fleishman, co-founder of one of the world's largest public-relations firms, Fleishman-Hillard, died Tuesday in St. Louis after a brief illness. Fleishman and longtime friend Robert Hillard created their firm in 1946, renting a room above a Woolworth's store. The company soon recruited a client list that included some of St. Louis' biggest companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Emerson Electric and May Department Stores. Fleishman-Hillard is the world's second-largest public-relations company, behind Weber Shandwick Worldwide, with 2,300 employees in 83 offices around the world.

Is there some bizarre Romulan curse on the odd-numbered Star Trek films? The first, third and fifth entries in the series were all rather dull while the second and fourth ones turned out to be more entertaining.Being even-numbered, Star Trek VI is, of course, another winner.Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country starts off with a bang - literally. A Klingon power station explodes. To prevent the slow death of their civilization, the Klingons seek rapprochement with the Federation.Shades of glasnost!

In 1966 Gene Roddenberry's fertile imagination created Star Trek for television.Columbia House Video Library is offering the Star Trek and the Star Trek: The Next Generation collections for members ((800) 638-2922). These episodes are not available in stores.The introductory volume costs $4.95, plus shipping and handling costs. Subsequent volumes will be mailed every four to six weeks at $19.95 plus handling. Laser discs, slightly higher, are also available.There is a 10-day trial period, and there is no minimum-purchase requirement to cancel.

Prosecutors played the sex tape at the center of R. Kelly's child-pornography trial in open court in Chicago on Tuesday, just hours after opening statements in which they accused the R&B singer of choreographing and starring in the footage with an underage girl. The jurors, who had been taking notes during opening statements, sat motionless while the video played on a 4-by-4-foot monitor just outside the jurors' box. Kelly, 41, appeared to watch the entire footage intently on a small monitor on the defense table.

President Barack Obama attracted major star power for a mid-week visit to Los Angeles, drawing out A-listers such as Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon to a fundraising event in Beverly Hills. The president arrived at LAX shortly before 5 p.m., whisked off to address the LGBT Leadership Council at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, an event hosted by Ellen DeGeneres . Following a four-song set from "Glee's" Darren Criss, Obama discussed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell to a crowd that included Cher and son Chaz Bono , "Modern Family" actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and George Takei.

Star Trek, the 1960s television cult favorite about the adventures of the crew of the starship Enterprise, is being revived with a new cast, the Paramount Television Group said Friday.Star Trek: The Next Generation will boldly go where Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry has been before but it will feature a new cast. The show be available for airing in September 1987, said Paramount president Mel Harris.Roddenberry will be executive producer of the series, which will debut as a two-hour movie.